Be Quiet
by ideasofmany
Summary: Set after the episode, "Girls Just Want to Have Fun". Gabrielle asks a few questions that catch Xena off guard.


**Be Quiet**

**Summary: Set after the episode "Girls Just Want to Have Fun". Gabrielle asks a few questions that catch Xena off guard. Just a bunch of silly dialogue.  
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**Disclaimers: Xena and Gabrielle, Universal, blah blah.**

As the blanket of night befell a clearing in a forest, a youthful voice penetrated the trill of insects and the rustle of leaves.

"Xena?" The youthful woman asked tentatively. Although it was late, she had a feeling that the friend sleeping beside her in her own bedroll was just as awake as she was.

"Yes?" Tired but restless, Xena answered her travel companion's soft beckon.

"I've got a question. Since you have more experience than me, I thought you might have the answer." Her voice a soft whisper, Gabrielle pushed the covers up and off of her. She soon sat up in her furs.

"Get on with it." Xena said, deciding to open her eyes, she turned to face the now upright bard.

"Well I was just wondering if—how-when-do you know if you are in love?"

The brunette uttered a tortured sigh, she hated these kinds of talks. "Um well, ah, it's kind of complicated."

"Does sex mean you are in love?" Gabrielle innocently asked.

"Yes." Xena answered hastily, hoping to end the impromptu life questions. She soon realized the repercussions of the answer. "I mean no." She then pondered if her friend might start viewing the act as a simple form of pleasure. Buckling under pressure, she answered ambiguously. "Sometimes." Her lips pursed in thought and her eyes rolled upward as her brows bunched in thought.

"Is it a good test I mean?" The blond asked naively.

"A test? No! Sex is not for testing. It's for mutual enjoyment or mutual relief."

"You mean it's for recreation? A stress reliever of some kind?"

Irritated that her friend had interrupted her thoughts and twisted her matter of fact answer, Xena cut her off angrily, "That's not what I said."

"But."

"Don't twist my answers. Why are you asking this anyway?" The warrior wanted to get to the bottom of this. The sooner it was over, the sooner she could try to go back to sleep.

"Well, I just uh, was curious." Gabrielle muttered.

"Who do you plan on being curious with?" Xena asked, opening her eyes. She faced her friend questioningly. She was beginning to be curious as to what had been prompting all this. Part of her worried that the bacchanalia might have opened up a slew of all kinds of scenarios that she didn't want to deal with at this time of night.

"What? No one. It's hypothetical. Not all questions are behind scenarios that are real." Gabrielle scoffed, partly embarrassed.

"Well then, in that case, I think you should probably save sex for when you are in love." Xena responded, relieved that she didn't have to confront it all just yet.

"Like you do?" The wide-eyed innocent blond smirked in amusement.

"Don't give me that look. It's different. I just-" How could she explain this without sounding hypocritical? "This isn't about me." Xena finished.

"Okay, fine. Sex is off limits to talk about. I get it. I was just wondering what being in love feels like. You know, in order to be prepared. Wouldn't want to miss my chance."

"I don't think I'm qualified to answer the question. I'm not one for sensitive chats. Maybe you can ask Princess Diana next time we see her."

"Yeah I guess you are right." Staring up at the skies, Gabrielle, smoothed her furs and began to scoot and settle back into the covers. The blond thought about it. Princess Diana would probably know. The smile she and Philemon shared just looking at each other heavily suggested it.

Gabrielle then thought about how unselfish being in love required you to be. It was almost unconditional. Perhaps that is what being in love was like. She uttered the idea aloud, "Maybe it's like family?"

"Give it a rest Gabrielle." Xena responded moodily.

"Or maybe it's just a tingly feeling you get. Butterflies in your stomach? Or intense lust..."

"Gabrielle!" The brunette whined in frustration.

"Xena, warriors can talk about love. Don't worry, they won't put you in prison for it. I promise I won't even tell anyone. Quit being such a coward."

Rolling her eyes, Xena defended herself, "I am not afraid about talking about love or sex."

"Prove it."

"Fine!" Xena scanned the recesses of her mind of all the instances or times she thought she was in love. She also thought about happily married couples, or even just the giddy teenagers discovering puppy love. It wasn't a simple question to answer and she wanted to make sure that Gabrielle would understand that there was no simplicity in it. "You know you are in love if you want to spend all your time with them. When you look at them you, you just feel happy inside. You would sacrifice everything for them and you put them before yourself and you don't want to be without them. Sometimes it's for a short while, and in some rare cases; some people want to be together forever. Also, when you kiss, you just feel great all over, like you're floating, or you feel breathless. It's a great feeling that makes you smile, but a hundred times better. Your heart beats quickly.." Xena answered, gesturing with her hands, but soon she seemed to be at a loss for words.

"And then you have sex?"

"No! Get a hold of yourself Gabrielle. I think you should wait to have sex till after you are married, because when you mean everything to each other, sex solidifies that bond. Like icing on a cake. Your virginity is something special. You wouldn't want to regret giving it to someone who doesn't feel the way you do about them. Also, sometimes if the timing is right, you might end up pregnant before you are prepared to be a mother."

"Speaking from experience?"

"Unfortunately yes. Sometimes I wish my first time was more meaningful. Petracles treated me like a conquest at the time. I felt used. I guess I just wanted my first time to be a fond memory. After that I was damaged goods. Borias; although he loved me, I was already too far gone. I got pregnant, and had Solon..." Xena paused painfully, "I just think you should be careful."

"Okay. I understand." Gabrielle nodded empathetically.

"Good."

"I promise I'll make sure to think carefully for my first time. After I lose my virginity then I can be like you. I'll be careful with the timing. You'll have to teach me the method you use. Then sex can be more for pleasure, entertainment, to feel good, to bribe." Gabrielle didn't know why she had said the last bit, but it ended up escaping before she could reign it in.

"That's not why I sleep with people."

"Oh, then why do you?" Gabrielle asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.

For the first time Xena wondered just that. "It's none of your business." Xena answered angrily, hoping her terse tone of finality would scare the bard from further questioning. For a few minutes she was sure it did, till her companion's furs began rustling again in the dark.

"Would you sleep with me Xena?"

"What? What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing. I just want to give my virginity to someone I love, who loves me. I'm just following your advice."

"I don't love you. I mean, I do, but not like that."

"Like what?"

"Like that."

"Yes you do."

"No I don't."

"But you do love me don't you? When you defined being in love, that's us. Well except for that kiss thing, because we haven't kissed yet. Want to try a kiss first?"

"Go to sleep Gabrielle. Discussion over."

"But, I told you to teach me everything you know."

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because."

"You don't love me?"

"Sure I do. It's complicated."

"If you say that again, I'm going to swat you Xena."

"If you open your mouth to say a word again I'm going to have to sleep somewhere else, away from your incessant talking."

"Whatever." Gabrielle answered, discouraged by the threat.

"Whatever."

"Good night Xena."

"Good night Gabrielle."

All seemed quiet again in the clearing. Both women were lying on their backs in deep thought because their conversation had stirred up unbidden thoughts. Soon the talkative blond again pierced the serenity.

"You know Xena, when I said that I wanted to thank you for saving my life..."

"Be quiet Gabrielle! Go to sleep!"

Unfortunately there was not much sleep to be had by both women that night. Every time Xena closed her eyes, the memory of Gabrielle as a bacchae in the proximity of her neck invaded her thoughts. The shame of the fact that she enjoyed Gabrielle being so close and the shiver that coursed through her at the contact they had made.

In Gabrielle's mind, the image of Xena's slender, creamy neck, and surprising reaction of ecstasy to her bite burned Gabrielle's memory with a fire she couldn't ignore. Perhaps some day Xena would let her have the opportunity again if she could just convince her.

THE END...


End file.
